Okra

Cats do not need vegetables, so a little cooked okra is at most a novel treat with a bit of fibre.

One short piece per serving without reducing main-diet intake.

Steam or boil until soft, cut into very small pieces, and add no seasoning.

The fuzzy surface of raw okra can irritate a cat's mouth, so cook it first; garlic, onion and chilli sauces are toxic to cats, so contact a vet immediately if a seasoned okra dish is eaten.

Cooked okra offers mucilaginous fibre and a little potassium with very few calories, so short pieces make an occasional vegetable treat.

1-2 short pieces per serving (one for a small dog), within roughly 10% of daily energy intake.

Wash, steam or boil whole until soft, then cut into short pieces and remove the stem and seeds if you like; add no oil, salt, garlic, onion or chilli sauce.

Raw okra is harder to digest and its fuzzy surface can irritate the mouth, so always cook it; stir-fried, garlicky or chilli-dressed okra is not suitable, and contact a vet immediately if a dish containing garlic or onion is eaten.